IRS phone scam remains strong threat, according to BBB

Tax season may be over, but that has not stopped scammers from continuing to pose as IRS officials and making calls threatening jail, deportation and loss of property. Thousands of calls have been made to individuals across the country, including the Chicago and northern Illinois area, with total losses around $1 million.

Callers to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Chicago and Northern Illinois say they have been left voicemail messages stating they need to contact the IRS immediately, or they would face legal consequences. Other messages threatened arrest by U.S. Marshals for failure to pay the correct amount of taxes.

John Strandin, of Rockford, says he and his wife received two calls from a man who claimed his wife had not correctly filed her returns for the last six years. Standin says, “we knew it was a scam, because my wife has not filed an individual tax return in more than 10 years.”

Hoffman Estates resident Bert Adams says, “I had a phone message from Kelly Gray who said she worked for the IRS and that I was to call the IRS right away.” This call was less threatening and demanding than other calls, as Adams noted her sign-off was “Good-bye, and take care.”

All calls to Adams and Strandin came from the 202 area code, which services the Washington, D.C., area.

“It is a safe bet that the phone numbers that showed on their caller I.D. were ‘spoofed numbers,”” says Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the BBB. “It is a common practice of scammers to hide their real phone number from their intended victim.” He added, “in some cases, they have even ‘spoofed’ the IRS’s legitimate ‘800’ customer service number.”

In addition to claiming to be from the IRS, other individuals say they have been called by people stating they were with the U.S. Treasury; although it is a different government agency, the scam remains the same.

Scott Smuck of Rockford says: “I was told I did not file my 2010 taxes correctly and that I owed $1,000 and needed to pay it immediately, or they would seize my property and bank account and I would be arrested by the U.S. Marshal.” Smuck was instructed not to hang up until he paid the money. “I was even told what store to go to and get a GreenDot card,” he added. The call lasted one hour and 49 minutes.

According to the IRS, the agency never contacts taxpayers by phone asking for money. They also never contact taxpayers by e-mail. If there is an issue with the IRS that requires your response, the contact would be made by U.S. mail.

If you receive one of these scam phone calls, the BBB recommends:

• Hang up — Don’t provide any information over the phone. Call the IRS directly using the phone number found on their website or in the phone book.

• Protect personal information — In response to an incoming call, never give out any personal or financial information, such as your Social Security number, mother’s maiden name or any passwords and other identifying information.

• Contact the FTC — File a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov/complaint. From the complaint homepage, select “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” In the notes, include “IRS Telephone Scam.”

For more about scams, visit www.bbb.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

2 Comments

Melody Baker (@evangml)

June 19, 2014 at 12:39 pm

I just received a call from the IRS scam 202 no this morning. She made it sound like a life or death situation. Then as a person who has gone through an audit, I recalled receiving numerous contact by mail prior to any action of the dreaded IRs. I am reporting this issue to our state

Please visit our “Report Phishing” website (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing) and click on “Complaint Assistant”. This will allow you to file a complaint with the FTC and identify the complaint as an IRS complaint.

Whether you use the IRS link or file the complaint directly with the FTC, add “IRS Hostile Call” in the Comments section of the complaint.

Individuals who have been victimized by this scam and have provided one or more Green Dot MoneyPak numbers to the scammer should also notify Green Dot directly at 800-473-3636 to report the scam and open an investigation.

Regards,

phishing@irs.gov
Online Fraud Detection and Prevention (OFDP)
Internal Revenue Service
United States Department of the Treasury